Today shortly after clearing secuity at DFW and waiting for my flight I was doing a little people watching.

About 30 feet or so from the checkpoint I cleared at are employee entrances. At these entrances airport and airline employees enter the sterile area, the same area I was in after clearing TSA security, without screening of any kind.

While watching the comings and goings of the people moving about the airport I observed two airline employees, non fight crew, who entered through the unmonitored and unscreened employee entrance. I won't say which company they worked for but they must be good American's. One was carrying two shopping bags with what appeared to be about 3 bottles of 3 liter beverages in each bag, one bag in each hand(total of 18 liters of liquids) and the other a common roll aboard suitcase.

Now I'm not suggesting either person was a bad guy but if it is this easy to bring in 18 liters of untested liquids and a container that could hold many pounds of an explosive or even used to transport stolen property in and out of the secure area just what good is being done by screening just the passengers?

If possible I would like our resident "Security Expert" to chime in and give us the rundown on what security principles this type of policy creates for maintaining a secure area.

Sure seems like TSA is Pi$$ing away a lot of tax money and no real security is happening.

Do I qualify as a security expert???? If so, let me know, cause I want to tell everyone!

But as I have post so many times before aiine employees are not requires to be screened by TSA to enter ther sterile area. And more than likely, these employees have access to the SIDA area, too. All airports have to do is establish procedures for who gets what access. BTW, this deals with employees while at work, not those on personal business.

And I trust these employees. Sure a few will be bad. This is true of any industry. I bring my soda through the checkpoint, too!!

How was the weather in Dallas?? I'll be there in a few weeks for a few days.

If TSOs can bring their (engage Midwest phrase) pop through the checkpoint, then what's to stop them from passing it on to an accomplice?

Why, actually nothing! Hmmm no one ever thought of that

We've already had a lengthy discussion, but I think that TSOs and airline personnel should still have to go through security...

There was a case of an airline agent bring a passengers bag around security. They were caught and the agent was fired.

Well, you know, if they could background check all passengers, security might cease to be a necessity. What would it take, altogether, to insure everyone taking a plane was as thoroughly checked as a federal employee. I know something about that. I work in a bank with business with the IRS. We all have to get "clearance" to log into IRS computers in one of our centes. You wouldnt BELIEVE what the IRS wants to know about you if you access one of their computers. I assume top CIA clearance is more, so I don't EVEN want to get that clearance!

Soooo, what I'm saying is that if every passenger were to be that transparent to the government with essentially no privacy or secrets, we could do away with TSA.

So anyone want to predict when that day will dawn? Unless TSA is as sloppy with hiring and vetting employees as some private security companies I know, then one TSO handing a bottle to another, doesn't seem that risky.

(Regarding sloppiness at private security companies, I used to work in another bank building. The night guards were hired by a known private security firm. One night, a female lawyer with an office in the building was abducted and raped by an employee of this private security company. I remember thinking at the time "These guys are in the security business! Don't they find out anything about the people they put in charge of the safety of the building?")

I wish I could find the link to that story, but if I recall correctly, they were caught by a passenger observing the breach, not by TSA. That still sounds like a TSA failing to me.

And that's just the one incident we know about. What confidence do we have that this hasn't happened numerous other times as well?

And I trust (in general) my fellow passengers. Sure a few will be bad. This is true of any group of people.

Why is an attitude of "most are okay, a few might be bad" good enough for employees, but not for passengers?

TSAfail!

TSA failed the moment it was created. It's only gotten worse.

I don't know are you? Ask your fellow worker TSORon, he should know.

TSA permits the airline/airport employees access to the secure areas without screening because it is TSA's job to control that access, no one elses.

Having different standards for clearing security is the most basic security failure there is and TSA seems right on top of that heap.

Until TSA can guarantee that employees are not introducing contraband then TSA has failed its mission when thousands of people enter the sterile area without any screening.

Congress put TSA in charge of airport security, not the airlines.

We've had two instances of airline employees bypassing security with a firearm in their bag in the past few weeks. Just one more, and we'll have a hat trick of FAIL.

I've missed those stories. Details?

At my former airport, a lot of people abused this privilege. There have been instances when an airport employee would take a passengers bag through the employee entrance and give it to them on the other side with out being screened. I argued with management the very first day they installed the back door but it was pointless.

^^